1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a paging apparatus and a paging method by a password, and more particularly to a paging apparatus and a paging method by a pass word by which a calling operation of a received message is controlled using a telephone number of telephone directory data as a password.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, paging apparatus by a password include a radio paging receiver which performs paging by a password. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Heisei 6-152499 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Heisei 4-175019, a user stores a password into a radio paging receiver in advance, and when a message is received after stand by receiving of paging by a password is set, comparison between a character train included in the received message and the password stored in the radio paging receiver is performed, and the calling operation is limited when they do not coincide with each other.
In the following, the conventional radio paging receiver disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Heisei 6-152499 is described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the conventional radio paging receiver, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an operation procedure of notification of reception of a password of the radio paging receiver.
Referring to FIG. 1, the radio paging receiver includes radio unit 102 for demodulating a radio signal received by antenna 101, ID-ROM 104 in which a paging number of the self receiver is stored in advance, paging number comparator (ID discriminator) 105 for comparing a paging number included in the received radio signal with the paging number of the self receiver stored in advance in ID-ROM 104, password memory 106 in which a password is stored in advance, password comparator 107 for comparing a password in the received message with the password of the self receiver, set time memory 108 for storing a limit time for reception, clock unit 112 for generating a real time signal, message memory 111 for storing the received message, notification unit (speaker & indicator) 109 for generating and notifying a call signal, display unit (LCD display) 110 for displaying the received message, and controller 103 for controlling the entire radio paging receiver.
Next, operation of the radio paging receiver is described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring to FIG. 1, a radio signal is demodulated by radio unit 102. The demodulated data is sent to controller 103, and a paging number included in the received data is compared with the paging number of the self receiver stored in ID-ROM 104 by paging number comparator 105. If they coincide with each other, then comparison between a character train included in the received message and the password stored in password memory 106 is performed by password comparator 107. If the comparison with the password proves coincidence, then the call is notified by notification unit 109. Display unit 110 displays the received message simultaneously with the notification. However, if coincidence is not detected, then it is discriminated whether or not notification is limited at present, and only when notification is not limited, the call is notified. Whether or not notification is limited is discriminated by comparison of the present time counted by clock unit 112 with a limit start time and a limit cancellation time set in advance in set time memory 108 by controller 103. Further, when the notification limit is effective at present and no notification should be performed, the received message is stored once into the message memory 111 and then the call is notified when the notification limit is canceled.
Controller 103 of the radio paging receiver performs operation illustrated in FIG. 2 when a message is stored.
Referring to FIG. 2, controller 103 discriminates whether or not a password exists in the received message (S101), and if a password exists, then the call and the message are notified (S102). If no password exists, then controller 103 discriminates whether or not it is within the limit time (S103), and if it is not within the limit time, then the call and the message are notified (S104). If it is within the limit time, then the call and the message are not notified (S105). In this instance, controller 103 stores the received message (S106), and then notifies the call and the message after the notification limit is canceled (S107).
As described above, the radio paging receiver includes notification limiting means for notifying a received message only when a particular password set in advance is included in the received message, time setting means for enabling the notification limit means at a first time set in advance and disabling the notification limit means at a second time set in advance, and notifying means for notifying a message, which has been subject to limit to notification while the notification limit means is enabled, at the second time, and consequently, it can limit an originating person depending upon the time and allows a carrying person to use it further conveniently.
However, in a paging apparatus by a password till now, where a paging unit by a password of the conventional radio paging receiver is used, if a person who tries to send a message forgets the password, then even if a radio paging receiver of a receiver carrying person is in a set state to stand by receiving of the paging unit by a password, the message is not conveyed to the other party. The paging apparatus has a problem in that a person who tries to send a message must remember a password of a radio paging receiver of a receiver carrying person without fail.
Further, in a paging apparatus of the type described, if a message received while stand by receiving of the paging unit by a password is set includes a character train which does not coincide with a password stored in the radio paging receiver, the message is either notified after the setting of paging by a password is released or neglected at all.
In this instance, if the message is notified after release of the setting of stand by receiving of the paging unit by a password, then even if a receiver carrying person sets the paging unit by a password to stand by receiving, if someone knows a paging telephone number of the radio paging receiver of the receiver carrying person, then it may sent such a message out of spite that may cause the receiver carrying person to feel disagreeable, or a message may be sent from a person having no relation because of dialing of the paging telephone number in error. Further, also telephone numbers around the paging telephone number of the radio paging receiver in most cases are paging numbers of other radio paging receivers.
For example, if a telephone number ***-***-1234 is the paging telephone number of a radio paging receiver, where also 1233 or 1235 is a paging telephone number of another radio paging receiver, even if a third party sends a mischievous message, all messages are notified at a point of time when stand by receiving of the paging unit by a password is released, and a call of such a message that embarrasses the receiver carrying person cannot be prevented.
On the other hand, a paging apparatus of the type described above has a problem in that, if a message which does not coincide with a password is neglected at all, then even if a person who does not known the password sends an important message, the message is not conveyed to the receiver carrying person.